PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Wilber Nielsen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mohammad Kalisto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Nielsen
vs
Kalisto

173 cm
18
193 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

195 cm
25
180 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Wilber Nielsen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Mohammad Kalisto!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Matti Vanhoillinen and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Kalisto closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Nielsen is trying to stand.
Nielsen wants to control but Kalisto is keeping busy.
Nielsen is trying to stand up here but Kalisto is controlling him well.

Nielsen manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Kalisto keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.

Nielsen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Kalisto feints and as Nielsen raises his hands in defense, Kalisto changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Kalisto pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Nielsen is keeping the position for now.

Nielsen had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Kalisto defends it easily.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Nielsen has his feet on Kalisto's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.

Nielsen shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Kalisto napping and manages to drive through into side control!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nielsen happy to just control the position for now.
Nielsen throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Nielsen is staying tight to Kalisto's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Kalisto managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Nielsen.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Nielsen in side control, throwing shots but Kalisto defends.
Nielsen has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Nielsen throwing shots but missing, from side control.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Kalisto rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Nielsen moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Kalisto is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Kalisto displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Nielsen.
Nielsen shoots in for a double leg but Kalisto sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

Kalisto bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

Nielsen throws Kalisto to one side and escapes!
Nielsen tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Kalisto swivels and escapes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Wilber Nielsen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Nielsen is breathing heavily.

Kalisto throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Nielsen was covering up waiting for the punch and Kalisto finishes the takedown easily into guard.

Nielsen has his feet on Kalisto's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Kalisto dives in and scores a takedown into Nielsen's guard.
Nielsen is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Kalisto dives into side control.

You can see the frustration on Nielsen's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Nielsen is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Nielsen is not content to let Kalisto control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nielsen is pushing Kalisto's head away, looking to escape. Kalisto manages to hold on to the position though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Kalisto decides to stand back up. Kalisto steps back and let's Nielsen get back to his feet.
Nielsen looks for a takedown but Kalisto sprawls well.
Kalisto shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Nielsen eats them both and turns towards Kalisto to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.

It looks like Wilber Nielsen has been cut.

Kalisto closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Kalisto pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Wilber Nielsen will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Wilber Nielsen's cut.
That's time! Nielsen's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Kalisto pulls out of a head kick attempt.
It looked like Nielsen was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
A head kick misses from Kalisto.
Nielsen throws a big counter combination but Kalisto scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Wilber Nielsen is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Nielsen has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Kalisto.
Kalisto leaves Nielsen with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
As Nielsen backs off Kalisto throws a huge counter combo but Nielsen manages to avoid it all.

Nielsen fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Kalisto sprawls well initially but Nielsen persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Kalisto kicks Nielsen off and gets back to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Kalisto shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Nielsen's guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Nielsen throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Kalisto would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Kalisto is breathing heavily.

Nielsen manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nielsen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Kalisto throws a head kick but Nielsen moves out of range.
Kalisto falls off balance throwing a combination

and Nielsen counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Nielsen lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Nielsen postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Kalisto utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Nielsen controlling from the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nielsen throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Kalisto working a defensive guard but Nielsen passes into half guard.
Kalisto on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Kalisto tries to kick Nielsen off but Nielsen keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kalisto rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Nielsen moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Nielsen closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Kalisto is looking to get back to is feet but Nielsen passes into side control.
Nielsen in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Kalisto seems a little lost for a moment, as Nielsen dominates the positioning.
Nielsen's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nielsen throwing strikes but Kalisto manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!
Nielsen wants to control but Kalisto postures up.
Nielsen is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Mohammad Kalisto will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Wilber Nielsen's cut.
That's time! Nielsen's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Kalisto throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Nielsen was covering up waiting for the punch and Kalisto finishes the takedown easily into guard.

Nielsen pushes Kalisto off and gets back to his feet.

Kalisto closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Nielsen to the mat! Nielsen manages to get full guard.

Nielsen has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. Kalisto is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Kalisto blocks a body shot from Nielsen.
Nielsen lands an uppercut.
Kalisto blocks a body shot from Nielsen.

Nielsen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Kalisto takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Kalisto.

Nielsen drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Nielsen could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Nielsen stops Kalisto from standing up.
Nielsen sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Nielsen landing with the ground and pound.
Wilber Nielsen overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nielsen sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Nielsen missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Kalisto is looking to stand back up but Nielsen counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Kalisto.
Kalisto flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nielsen thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Kalisto's head.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

Kalisto dives in and scores a takedown into Nielsen's guard.
Nielsen is striking off his back. Kalisto thinks nothing of it though and passes easily into half guard.
Nielsen wants to get back to his feet.
Kalisto performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Nielsen might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Nielsen manages to escape and get back to his feet!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kalisto misses with a combination
and Nielsen counters with a one-two to the body.
Nielsen tries to score a power double leg takedown but Kalisto sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Nielsen somewhat.
Nielsen fails with a takedown attempt.
Nielsen will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Kalisto throws a counter combo.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Wilber Nielsen. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Kalisto has closed the distance and engaged Nielsen in a clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Wilber Nielsen showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Nielsen has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 29:28
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Wilber Nielsen!